


The return of the Monarchs

by booksparks05



Series: The Narnia Tales [3]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Caspian and Peter need to chill, F/F, F/M, Honestly the fact that anyone survives the castle raid shocks me, How Do I Tag, I can't even understand myself, It's because I had a plot line, Literally everyone is done with life but their still kicking, M/M, Multi, Oh that's right, Peter Pevensie is a shit (but he's a GOOD shit and I love him), Swearing, Why Did I Write This?, honestly, how did any of these idiots survive the Golden Age
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2020-06-24 00:44:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 14,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19712860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booksparks05/pseuds/booksparks05
Summary: The two sets of siblings are back and there are Telmarines EVERYWHERE! There are four crazy unknowns running around and to top it all off, there are several important people that are missing.Problems? Most definitely, but where there's a will (and more importantly, several humans running around and trying to fix shit), there's a way!





	1. The return of the last warrior

**Author's Note:**

> Let's do this once, shall we?
> 
> I don't own Narnia (in any of its forms), nor do I own anything done by Rick Riordan, Tolkien, Rowling, ect., ect,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just the prologue and it happens from an... interesting perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned with more crazy sibling shenanigans! Please, enjoy and I hope to hear from you guys via comments.

###  **The return of the last Warrior**

**'An'**

There was screaming in the tower. I knew that tonight was the last night of safety and security. Tonight Cornelius and I had to get Caspian out of the castle.

Rather than going to Lady Prunprismia’s rooms like all the other maids I ran to Caspian’s rooms. Cornelius was there already and when I stormed in both he and Caspian looked up in terror.

I rolled my eyes before remembering how much people said it made me look like my mother. “Not yet, you two. But you’re definitely cutting it close, Caspian.” I muttered, my sarcasm quickly learned from one of my Uncles when I was young.

Caspian looked gob-smacked that he was having a 13 year old sassing him more than any of the adults in this Aslan-forsaken castle dared. Cornelius simply rolled his eyes, knowing this was just my normal attitude if I was woken up in the middle of the night.

“Stop gaping like a fish and get your butt into the bloody wardrobe, Telmarine.” I muttered, grabbing his collar and pulling him through.

We got to the staircase and heard crossbows going off. I paused for a second, remembering the siege of my own home. The only reason that I or my cousins survived was because of our Aunts and family friends.

“Caspian, _quickly_!” I hissed, tugging at his wrist.

We got down the stairs and to the Armour where Cornelius had brought two horses. Caspian picked a sword and I leapt onto my horse, having already been armed with my various weapons. I learned at an early age that being a walking armory was better than being dead.

Once Caspian was one Destier Cornelius told him, “You must make for the woods.”

Caspian simply gaped at him, “The woods?!”

Aslan curse the Telmarines and their close-minded superstitions. Cornelius apparently thought the same as he only said, “They won’t follow you there. Follow An, don’t stray from her side.” He then pulled a package from one of his many pockets. “It has taken me many years to find this. Do not use it but in your greatest hour of need.” A shout came from the courtyard and I thanked Aslan and Pan when Cornelius finally said, “Now, go!” And hit Destier’s hide and Caspian raced off, forcing me to kick my horse to keep up with him.

On our way out a cryer shouted from the towers, “A son, a son! Lady Prunaprismia has this night blessed Lord Miraz with a son!”

We raced through the countryside and after maybe a half hour of hard riding we crossed the river. Destier obviously wasn’t fond of the river but we really had no choice. Soon after that we were immersed in the forest, my favourite place.

We were riding for maybe a minute through the forest before the dumb-ass that was the Telmarine Prince got hit in the head by a low hanging branch. He was dragged along as he tried to unhook himself from Destier and I tried to stop the horse. He succeeded sooner than I and simply flopped back onto his back, exhausted.

Truthfully, I felt about the same, but we didn’t have much time to rest as rather soon after he had stopped two dwarves came out from under a tree-root home. Caspian looked up and, judging by his eyes, freaked out a little. His eyes darted to his sword, lying a few meters away, as did the eyes of the red dwarf. 

Said dwarf ran to us but paused at the last second looking to the ground a half meter from Caspian’s foot. My eyes followed his and I muttered several curses in the various languages I had been taught as a child because lying on the ground, in plain view, was Queen Susan’s Horn.

Just then I heard the unmistakable noise of horses with riders astride them. The red dwarf looked back and whispered, “Take care of him!” Before running off towards the Telmarines with his sword drawn.

I was out of my saddle before I could think and I would have chased after him, had I not heard the sound of an eerie horn from behind me. I stopped short, turned and found myself faced with a black dwarf who promptly knocked me out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is screaming at who they think An is, please, let me know!
> 
> I love hearing from you guys, stay safe and try your very hardest to kick life in the shins.


	2. Someplace like Home… oh, wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And to your left you will see the High King of Narnia at the height of his dumbassery. And most of the other Narnian royals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally, I had this chapter written slightly differently, much like most of the story which is undergoing Frankenstein's-monster-level revamps because I changed some of the more major points.  
> I feel like I should apologise for the curses, even if most of them are spoken in Italian.

**Someplace like Home… oh, wait**

**Melody**

I hated underground train stations. My experiences on quests for camp put me on edge and made me jumpy and highly irritable when I had to be in one for any amount of time but then, if it weren’t for the fact that I had to take a train to school, we wouldn’t have gone back home.

————

Susanna and I were flipping through books at the second hand stall across from the train station where the train to school was. I was partway through a blurb when I noticed Lucy running across the road (and almost getting hit by a car) looking desperate for help. “Susanna! Melody! Quick, it’s the boys!” She had hardly finished speaking before I had thrown the book down on the table where I got it and started running back across the road to the station.

After I managed to shove my way into the tunnel I found it was crowded by people and a fight was unfolding in the center. What had me launching myself into the fight without so much as sparing a thought for my health was the fact that my boyfriend (*cough**cough* _husband_ *cough**cough*) and his brother were part of the fight and were losing. 

When I got to the edge of the fight there were two boys unoccupied by Peter and Edmund and despite the fact that I was no longer a fully grown knight and queen, I could still take on a male who underestimated me alone and without weapons or so I believed. I launched my small body at one of them, a hulking brunet, the momentum pushing him forward into the other boy. Of course, the second boy, a robust ginger, noticed me before I could do much damage and he grabbed my hand and dragged me off the first boy’s back to hold me in front of him. I only had enough time to shout one word before his forearm snapped around my neck, “Peter!”

This brought the attention of the fighters to the wall that I was nearest to, effectively stopping the fight. “Now Pevensie, you have a few options here. One, you stop fighting and your girl gets out of this alive. Two, you continue fighting and your girl gets it. Three, you and your brother leave us and your girl stays here. Take your-”

Before he could continue a voice sounded out from the crowd, “Four, you release my sister and Peter, Edmund, Lewis and I kick your arse. Five, you allow my sister, her boyfriend and his brother to leave and the fight ends before someone calls the police.” 

My brothers had arrived but all I could think was, ‘Ares damn it Hamilton! Let me fight!’ But I was the one in the most danger so… I didn’t really have a choice.

Edmund spotted who was speaking and his lips curled into a smile that, if we were back home, would have tipped off those who knew him to get the Hades out of the room but since we were only in England it just made him look cocky. Peter would have answered had the police not shown up and gone absolutely batshite on our asses or, the boys’ asses, I was let off the hook (the positives of being a girl in a sexist world).

We made our way over to our siblings. Susan had her hands on her hips looking like she was about to lecture us. Hamilton and Lewis were playing around with Lucy, using small amounts of the gifts we were given when the Golden age began. Katherine was reading her mythology book that she got as a birthday present from Aunt Polly.

Before Susan could try to lecture us Edmund cut her off, “Su, please, don’t lecture us. You know that it won’t stop the next fight from happening and it won’t do anything for Peter and Melody’s tempers. Speaking of, Melody please calm down cause it’s now really, bloody, humid.”

“It doesn’t matter if it won’t stop the next fight, I want to know what happened.” Susanna went on anyway.

“He bumped into me.” Peter responded testily.

“So you _hit_ him?!” Susanna basically shouted at him.

“No. After he bumped me he tried to make me apologise while indirectly threatening Melody, Lucy and Katherine. _Then_ I hit him.” 

“If you hadn’t been fighting in the first place they wouldn’t have gotten a swipe at Melody!”

“Oi! Don’t make it sound like it’s all my fault! It was Melody’s choice to jump into the fight!”

“Oh, so now your having a go at me?! Nice, real nice, Peter!”

“All of you please, shut up! We’re all under a lot of stress here. Peter, calm down. When we do go back to Narnia you will still hold the power of High King and you’ve already proven yourself so you don’t have to try and do so again. And also, Aslan is allowing us back our full grown bodies, have you not noticed? I did nothing to gain a scar on my thigh in this world and yet, it’s there. So calm down. Susan, it’s his way of coping, lay off. When did I become the mature one?” Lucy basically shouted over us, finally over our minotaur shite.

“When all the other reasonable people decided to send their common sense off a cliff.” Edmund responded without missing a beat.

“Your still— ow!” Katherine began before leaping off the bench, as though shocked.

“Katherine, what’s— yikes! What was that?!” Peter asked, three people along from Katherine.

“Sit down Pete- Madre di Dio! Who pinched me?!”

“Lewis!” I shouted, being the only one who heard him cursing.

“Everyone, off the bench.” Hamilton ordered.

“But why?” Susan questioned

“Susan, just do it!” I shouted, already annoyed at her.

“Fine, fine, fine, I’m off the damn bench!”

“What’s that?” Edmund asked, referring to the light breeze in the tunnel— wait, light breeze in the tunnel?

“It felt like magic.” Lucy responded.

“Quick everyone hold hands!” Peter said, mind going at a million miles a minute.

“I am not holding your hand.”

“Just do it Edmund!” Holy Hera, I was shouting at everyone today.

As this chaos was unfolding the light breeze slowly became powerful winds and just as the train came into the station the platform began disappearing, leaving behind a beach. I couldn’t believe it, we were back. I released Susan and Lucy’s hands and looked around at where we were or I would have had my eyes not been stopped by the sight of my family. 

When we left Narnia we had returned to the ages we had been before finding Narnia and now that we had returned so had our bodies, or our bodies in a few years time, at least. If I had to hazard a guess, we were about five years younger than we were when we left. Peter was once again the tall, strong, handsome High King that he longed to be, Susanna had returned to her unearthly beauty, my hair had returned to its natural copper colour without the dark purple ends that I had dyed, my brothers had their now long copper coloured hair tied up in buns, Edmund was taller than me, again, and Lucy and Katherine looked like they were twins once more. How we still fitted in our school clothes was beyond me.

My musings were broken by the laughter of my youngest sister-in-law. She had apparently also noticed the changes and was now running around like a loon with her brother and best friend in tow. Susanna was being hassled by my brothers and Peter was leaning against a wall of the cave like he would when there was a ball in Cair Paravel and he was waiting for me to drag him onto the dance floor. I walked over to him and hugged him, muttering, “Peter, be happy. We’re back, we have our bodies as well as our minds, come swim!”

“My question is will it last? Will we lose this like we did before?” He asked, quietly enough that our siblings couldn’t hear us.

I was getting rather annoyed with his pessimistic train of thought so I whacked him in the back of the head before reaching up to kiss him and whispering “Who cares? Enjoy it while you can, my love.”

He apparently decided to take that advice to heart as he quickly swept me into his arms, eliciting a small shriek of delight from me as he carried me to the ocean and dropped me in.

I swam back to the surface to shout at him, “Peter, what the Hades?!”

“You said to live it the moment, so I did.” He returned with his once signature smirk plastered across his face.

“By dumping me in the water?! Tu stronzo!” I demanded before shoving him under water. When he didn’t resurface quickly I began to worry. And then the prat came up from underneath me and picked me up on his shoulders, scaring the shite out of me. “Okay, okay! I give, you win!”

“Oi, lovebirds! If you don’t mind, we’re trying to work out where we are.” Katherine shouted to us.

“Where do you think, Kitty?” Peter asked, shocked that she hadn’t worked it out.

“Well, I don’t remember any ruins in Narnia.” Edmund said, pointing to the top of the cliffs where, true enough, there were ruins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise if the chapter disappoints you by how firmly based in the movies it is, however I don't have enough spare time to go through and read every book that I base the stories on (that and my sister has kidnapped my version of the Chronicles).


	3. That little detail we almost forgot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look, the ruin are kinda important now and they just start throwing clues at you for the identities and locations of some very important players in the lives of the monarchs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's short. Believe me, I'm annoyed too.

### That little detail that we almost forgot

**Hamilton**

Climbing up the stairs was odd as they seemed rather familiar though, none of us could tell why. By the end of the climb Peter was carrying Lucille, Edmund had Katherine on his back and Lewis and I had Melody and Susanna hitched over our backs respectively.

The area that the stairs lead to was covered in long grass and had a marble floor in one section with a balcony overlooking the beach we’d just been on. Peter put Lucille down and she instantly ran over to the balcony. Katherine clambered off Edmund’s back so she could chase after Lucille. Lewis just released Melody and let her fall as my brother never did grow out of the sibling rivalry and I carefully placed Susanna back on the ground, both feet on the floor before gently stepping back from her. 

I stepped away to look at the ruins and try to guess where we were. That plan went ahead for all of us for about fifteen minutes before the shouting started.

“Edmund, just because you’re taller than me and are a king again doesn’t mean I can’t still smack you in the back of the head if you act stupidly.” Melody was saying.

“The law says that a king shall be respected by all those in court.” Edmund reminded her.

“Actually, the law says that a king shall be respected by his inferiors and equals. Now what rank was I crowned as?”

“High Quee— Shit.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, moving on from my sister-in-law’s silliness and brother’s hardheadedness, who do you think lived here?” Lucy interjected before Edmund could respond and get himself shoved off a cliff.

Susanna was the first to respond as she held out a gold knight from a Narnian chess set, “I think we did.”

“Hey, that’s mine. From my chess set.” Edmund cried out, reaching to grab the centaur shaped piece from his sister.

“What chess set?” Peter asked, confused as he had only gone in Edmund’s rooms in the early years of our rule as when Edmund turned nineteen he started seeing Afton, a river nymph and we all learned pretty quickly that Edmund wasn’t exactly… tame when left alone with his girlfriend.

“Well, I didn’t exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, now did I?” Edmund replied sarcastically to which Peter rolled his eyes.

“It can’t be…” Lucy said, her voice trailing off at the end. We all looked confused until Lewis apparently made the same realisation.

“You’ve got to be bloody kidding me… you don’t think…?”

“You don’t see it?” Lucy said and as we shook our heads she ran up and grabbed mine and Peter’s hands and pulled us to a section of the floor that was raised above the rest and had five stumps. She and Lewis positioned all of us, even Katherine as she said, “Imagine walls… and columns there… and a glass roof.” before stepping away.

The positions we were in was what triggered my memory they were the same positions as we stood in for the coronation and every formal Narnian occasion since. The ruins were those of Cair Paravel, our home for fifteen years.

“It’s Cair Paravel.” Peter whispered, mystified at the state his home was in.

“Mio Dio… what happened here?” Katherine whispered, horrified at the ruins our fortress had become.

Edmund had begun walking around actually inspecting the ruins and he noticed something that the rest of us missed, the indents in the rock. “Catapults.”

“What? Edmund, what are you talking about?” Susan asked. 

“This didn’t just happen, Cair Paravel was attacked.”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. We planned something for if this ever happened, right? There was a… a room or something where our possessions were meant to be put if we ever went missing or disappeared. We made it so it wouldn’t be destroyed if Cair was ever attacked… remember?” Lewis said, remembering that tiny part of the Golden Age that Aslan had affected.

Peter, Edmund, Katherine and I looked at each other and simultaneously cried out, “Treasure room!” Before running to the place where we remembered it being.

The treasure room was placed near where the gates of the castle of Cair Paravel used to be. It was out in the garden, guarded by an overgrown apple tree. The door took all four of us to take down since the residents of the castle had clearly decided to layer it up more to protect from invaders. 

Once we got the door down Peter started tearing off part of his school shirt and wrapping it around the top of a stick. “None of you would happen to have a match, would you?” He asked, glancing at all of us.

Edmund shrugged and said, “No… but would this help?” As he held up the new torch his mother had gotten him last year for Christmas.

“You couldn’t have mentioned that sooner?!” Peter demanded, exasperated with his brother’s continued poor timing.

“But seeing you annoyed is so much more fun.” Ed said cheerfully as he handed Peter the torch and we began walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review the chapter, just so I know that someone's reading this, please?


	4. Little baby girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small hint at the golden age and the event there of. Also, more clues!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, if anyone guesses who An is, or any of the other 'unnamed' characters that will eventually show up, let me know!

### Little baby girl

**Katherine**

The stairs were curled in a spiral going downwards several levels and when we reached the bottom I was thankful that we had thought to add sun crystals around the statues. Along with The statues of the Pevensies, there were statues of my siblings and I, and even a small shrine to Apollo.

In front of the statues there were chests and, even though I knew that all of the contents of mine were for me, I still wondered what our friends had left behind for us.

I moved towards my statue and chest. Looking up at the life sized statue of me in my late teens I saw the grin spread across my face. The sword in my hand and the armour I wore, would that be in here? Or had it been stolen or used for a memorial display?

I cracked open the chest and cried out at what I found. On top were my weapons and armour and under those, my regular clothes and a small chest for the jewelry that I had. But on top of that was a small book. 

It was a leather bound book with three little letters pressed into it. ‘A.T.A.’. I reached in and picked up the book, the leather was worn with age but it wasn’t falling apart, even after all the times I had found it lying around in the castle or on the grounds somewhere.

Carefully undoing the leather ribbon that I had added at my daughter’s request, I opened the little book and read my daughter’s last proper entry.

**_Dear Mum,_ **

**_I went out to the woods today. General Oreius was apparently worried sick that I wouldn’t come back but I know he just worries that the same thing that happened to you, Aunt Melody, Uncle Peter, Uncle Lewis, Uncle Hamilton, Lucy, Edmund and Susan would happen to me._ **

**_The old centaur refuses to admit that I can’t go back to Spare ‘Oom like you eight did._ **

**_What_ ** **I** **_don’t understand is why you lot left. Did you know you were leaving? I don’t think you did because you would have come back for me, Afton and Holly… wouldn’t you?_ **

**_Anyway, Lord Corin was asking if I wanted to sit in on a council meeting but I’ve heard almost all members of the council say some rather awful things about all of you so I don’t think I shall._ **

**_I have to go, Parenel was demanding that I go down and see her today. Bye!_ **

**_A.T.A._ **

There was only a note, a ripped out page after that with the words, 

‘ **_I know you’ll come back. Go to the table when you do,_ **

**_Acantha Tatiana, daughter of Katherine of the Order of the Lion, Lady of the Blade_ **’

I called out, “I know where we have to go!” which got the attention of all the members of the room. 

Looking at my sister I saw her eyes. She had found her children’s diaries and there was suffering in her eyes that spoke volumes. I looked back into my trunk and reached for my sword, knowing only that I had to find my daughter.

**Perspective change**

**Peter**

Imitating my sister-in-law, I reached into my chest and gripped the hilt of Rhindon, my age old blade, taking out several articles of clothing and looking around for an antechamber to change in.

I found one and moved towards it, Melody looking up sharply as I passed her only for her to see the clothes in my hands and realise what I was planning. 

She clearly thought we could all use a break from our current activity of feeling piteously sad for ourselves, as she called out to Hamilton, Lewis and Edmund sharply, forcing their focus from whatever they saw in their own chests to herself, “Boys, grab some clothes and go change out of your uniforms. And I expect them folded properly, I know Susan and I used to send you out to Oreius if you didn’t and even if-” Her voice broke a little on voicing the possibility that our friends were not here anymore, but she kept up in her rant, “even if we can no longer do that, so help me Poseidon if you think I will be any easier to deal with.”

I grinned when Lewis and Hamilton both grimaced at her threat. She had told me before the summer started that she was going to beat their arses when they got into the Training Ring and clearly, she had.

Edmund winced a little at Melody’s threat and I knew why. Before Melody and I had started courting she had been one of the most formidable generals in the Narnian Armies and she had been our trainer for the weeks leading up to the Battle of Beruna and, in the years following the War of Liberation. Unfortunately, she used us to take out her frustrations on, as she also instructed the girls and was taught by centaurs who were quick to underestimate her.

Point is, we all did as she said. We all wore white-grey cotton undershirts that only hung a little loose. Above that I wore a walnut brown shirt with bronze embroidery on its shoulders and left breast. It only covered my shoulders while Edmund’s shirt was plain Aegean blue came down to his wrists. Lewis was wearing a moss green tunic that ended halfway down his thighs and had small heather coloured flowers stitched into its collar. Hamilton had a loose long-sleeved shirt that was the colour of wine with ebony and gold embroidery.

Edmund and I were in woolen brown leggings and brown leather boots while Hamilton and Lewis had decided on coal pants and black leather boots.

We walked out to grab our various weaponry (except for me as I had taken Rhindon with me) and found the girls dressed and going through their chests.

Melody was in a tan undershirt, lilac long sleeve over-shirt and a pair of charcoal leggings. On her feet were her knee high leather boots, probably concealing daggers. Her Narnian-style rapier* was on her belt, her twin blades strapped to her back, her magic bracelet was clasped around her wrist with her pin hidden in her hair, her quiver of arrows tied opposite her rapier with her bow connected to it and she was strapping dueling knives to her forearms.

Katherine was in a similar state with her Narnian saber* tied to her waist, silver and steel dueling knives strapped over the sleeves of her cherry red over-shirt, the pins holding back her copper locks were probably sharpened to the point of hilarity, across her back she had her bow and quiver and I had little doubt that the satchel tied around her belt was full of various weapons.

Susanna had her bow and arrows at her back, though her quiver was likely housing a gladius or short sword but she couldn’t hold more than that on her dress.

Lucy was the only one not decked out with armour (or at least, not obviously) she had her old belt that held her dagger and cordial from Father Christmas but if I knew my sister, she was hiding a sword somewhere.

I reached my chest, grabbed a satchel and started stuffing it full of clothes. I knew that the others would likely do the same as we had no idea where we were and couldn’t stay in the ruins forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I talk about narnian style rapiers/sabers/whatever, they aren't actual weapons. I'm referring to the patterns of the guards, the material they're made with and the engravings on the blade.
> 
> Send in a review if you liked it, because seeing a little '0' next to my inbox tab is kinda depressing.


	5. On the bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It'll take a little bit to find any narnians but... hold on! Never mind, there's one there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, okay, the chapter summary sucks, I know. Still, relatively good chapter so... enjoy.

###  On the Bay 

###  Edmund

We got back down to the beach and saw a boat with two men in it. They were heavily armoured and seemed to be grumbling about something. They got to a certain point and then stopped rowing, reaching down to pull up something. No, not some _ thing _ , some _ one _ I realised as I saw the red dwarf.

Susan drew her bow and fired an arrow, which caught the soldier’s attention. She knocked another arrow before shouting, “Drop him!”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, could hear the quiet face palms around me and could almost,  _ almost _ , make out the dwarf’s indignant shouts, because really, ‘drop him’? There were just some things you didn’t say,  _ ever _ .

I heard the splash of water as the male was, inevitably, dropped into the water. One of the soldiers grabbed a cross bow and was quickly shot down by two arrows, one with scarlet fletching and the other with seafoam fletching.

The other jumped into the water and swam off, chased by arrows from Lewis, Melody and Susan. 

Lewis discarded his bow and jumped into the water with Peter to grab the dwarf while I dived in to drag the boat. I know Hamilton had jumped into the water after me to help and so, we had quickly retrieved the boat.

Back on shore, the dwarf was shouting at Susan, “‘Drop him’?! That was the best you could come up with?!”

“A simple thank you would suffice!” Susan snapped back. 

I was honestly questioning my sister’s sanity and apparently the dwarf was too. “They were doing just fine drowning me without your help.” He grumbled. 

That was, clearly, the last straw for Peter as his response was, “Perhaps we should have let them.”

The only reason I didn’t turn and slap him myself was that I saw Mel hit him from the corner of my vision and heard Peter hiss lightly at the slap.

Lucy dragged us all back to the present when she asked, “Why were they trying to drown you anyway?”

“They’re Telmarines. It’s what they do.” He stated with a dry laugh, one that lacked all forms of humour.

I exchanged a glance with Hamilton. We had only infiltrated the Telmarine castle once. We had both been caught and the only reason we had gotten out was thanks to our friend Azaeliah who had given her life to get us out, so for Telmarines to have invaded our country… “What do you mean? Telmarines in Narnia? Since when?” I demanded.

“Where have you been these last few thousand years?” The dwarf asked sarcastically.

“It’s a bit of a long story, actually.” Kitty said quietly.

Susan handed Peter’s sword to him from where he had left it on the ground. I watched as the dwarf’s eyes caught on the hilt and he turned to survey Peter, Susan, Lucy and I. “Oh, tell me you’re joking. You’re it? You’re the Kings and Queens of Old?”

Melody nodded sagely, “Yeah, we said the same thing because this lot? To be quite frank, they’re disappointing.”

“Says the woman who married into the family and had three kids.” I muttered, glazing upwards.

Her eyes turned to me, “Shut up Ed.”

In that time, the conversation had paused to listen to our banter but once I did as Melody told me, Peter continued, “High King Peter the Magnificent.”

Melody stifled a giggle while Susan smirked and said, “You probably could have left the last bit off, Peter.”

The male snorted and agreed, “Probably.”

“You’d be surprised.” He stated before pulling out Rhindon

“Oh, you don’t want to do that, boy.”

“Not me. Him.” His eyes shifted to me.

I could feel Hamilton tense at my side, Lewis’s eyes trained on his brother and his hand rested on his blade.

Before the brothers could kill each other in protection of myself and Peter respectively, I drew out my blade and Peter handed Rhindon to the dwarf. I heard Melody start muttering prayers and knew that I would with this fight, even without my talent in swordsmanship, so when the dwarf’s hands dropped at the weight of Rhindon I grinned at Peter, completely missing Hamilton and Lewis’s expressions of worry.

The male then brought Rhindon up and knocked my sword to the side. The rest of the battle was rather quick passed and looking back on it later, I couldn’t remember half of it. I knew that I won when Rhindon went flying from the dwarf and he said, “Beards and bedsteads, maybe that horn worked after all.”

Susan’s head snapped up and she demanded quietly, “What horn?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are fantastic, so please? If you could? That would be wonderful


	6. Waking up in a narnian home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our little mystery wakes up and has a small confrontation with Caspian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it's short, I am well aware of this. I'm posting chapter seven tonight and, if I get enough of the story done, chapter eight too.

###  Waking up in a Narnian home 

###  'An'

When I regained consciousness, the first thing I registered was the throbbing pain in my head. ‘Please don’t let there be a concussion.’ 

The next thing was that thing wasn’t my room in the servants quarters of the Telmarine castle, this was a narnian home.

When I heard the racket of an argument I sat up quickly. There was a badger, the black dwarf from before and Caspian sitting at the table.

They were talking and, though I didn’t catch what he said before doing so, I definitely saw him move back into the room I was in to gather up his armour. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! What in the Lion’s mane do you think you’re doing?”

He looked to me, eyes wide and began, “I-”

“No, I don’t want to hear it.” I stated, not letting him start, “Professor Cornelius and I did more than just help you escape last night. I gave up my cover, and he his own. He could be anywhere right now so I swear, Caspian the tenth, if you even so much as  _ think _ about giving yourself over to your uncle now…” 

I didn’t finish my threat and left that to his imagination. In the meantime, I focused on the narnians sitting at the table. “Who are you?” I asked quietly.

Before the badger could reply the dwarf cut in with a sharp, “Why should we tell you, Telmarine?”

I rolled my eyes. If I were actually a Telmarine my uncles would both have kittens. “Because, master dwarf, I am not a Telmarine. I was born a Narnian and I shall die as one, lest my mother’s sacred oaths to those she served be forever tarnished.”

The badger asked, “What is your name, child?” He was a gentle spirit and seemed quite domestic.

“I have been called many things, but the most recent of those is An, master badger. May I know your names?”

The dwarf looked as though he would protest but the badger continued on, “I’m called Trufflehunter and that grump of a being there is Nikabrik. I assume you already know Caspian?”

I smiled wryly before responding, “I’ve been working in the castle for the last few months.”

Clearly my threat meant enough as Caspian sat down beside me and asked, “So what was that horn that I blew last night.”

Trufflehunter turned to him in shock and I simply muttered,  _ “Aslan, save me from this ignorance.” _

Before turning back to the prince and explaining what the horn was, the history behind it and what most narnians believed it could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A comment would be fantastic!


	7. Up the river

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, sadness. And even more new characters. Joy of joys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I said this would be done sooner, I got told to go to sleep soon after the last chapter was posted and I really haven't had a chance since then.

### Up the river 

### Hamilton

A few hours later we were in a boat with the dwarf, who had introduced himself as Trumpkin. We were quite lost as Narnia seemed harsher than it used to. Lucy looked at the forest surrounding the river. 

“They’re so still.” She whispered mournfully. I had been taking great care not to look up at the trees as I still had yet to hear a word of Holly.

Trumpkin responded rather harshly to the comment, “They’re trees. What do you expect?” Kitty looked up, insulted upon behalf of the god who had blessed her. 

“They used to dance.” Was Lucy’s sullen response.

Trumpkin’s eyes grew soften at her words. He looked apologetic when he next spoke, “It wasn’t long after you lot left that the Telmarines invaded. Those that survived retreated to the woods and the trees and dryads retreated so deeply into themselves that no one’s heard from them since.”

Edmund’s eyes snapped up as my own filled with tears. Holly was gone, she was either hidden so deeply in herself or her tree had been cut down and her life with it.

“What about the naiads and the nymphs? Do they still live?” Edmund demanded, worry for his fiancée encroaching on the edges of my mind.

Sadness overwhelmed my senses and tears spilled from my eyes as Trumpkin gently shook his head. I knew that Edmund’s world was slowly crashing around him but I fought off the sadness and turned to him saying, “We’ll find a way to wake them up again, I promise.”

He nodded and we continued listening to Trumpkin and Lucy.

“I- I don’t understand. How could Aslan have let this happen?” Lucy asked gently, sadness and genuine confusion evident in her voice.

The question had barely been asked when Trumpkin scoffed, “Aslan? I thought he abandoned us after you lot did.”

I tensed and around me I felt Kitty, Lucy and Edmund do the same. Clearly not all of our history was remembered by our people as otherwise none would have spoken those words in front of the Silver Court.

Peter saw us tensing and moved the subject along quickly, which was probably a good thing as with Edmund’s current mood, he may not have dealt a fair sentence and that would have led to other complications. 

“We didn’t mean to leave, you know.”

Trumpkin huffed and muttered, “Doesn’t matter much now, does it?”

I winced and shared a look with Melody. Peter had, over the last three years, struggled to adjust to life back in England, both because he and Mel were no longer seen as a married couple and so couldn’t sleep in the same bed (because propriety was a _thing_ all of a sudden) and that he was now treated as a child and his words had almost no weight or influence.

Because of that, he started to doubt himself and his abilities. He became angrier and more violent. There were several times when the High King had disappeared so thoroughly that it took all of us tying him to a chair and ‘dealing’ with him for several hours to bring him out.

We all knew those words would do nothing to help his mental state.

“Get us to the narnians and it will.” Peter growled quietly, rowing the boat a little more vigorously than was probably necessary.

####  **Perspective change**

####  **Cae**

I watched as nine people rowed a boat onto the shore across from where the bear was. I growled lowly, ‘If they scare of that damned bear, I swear by the Lion…’

One of the youngest in appearance approached the bear and said in a cheerful voice, “Hello there!” Her voice made the bear look up and froze me in place. That- that voice… The girl spoke again, placating, as though to calm the bear, “It’s alright, we’re friends.”

The bear stood up, giving its full attention to the girl.

One of the others shouted, “Don’t move, your majesty!”

I redirected my bow, my aim following the bear as it moved. I cursed quietly as the bear started running. I loosed my arrow and it went flying into the bear’s back however the creature was too distracted by the people in front of it to pay my arrow much attention.

A girl, about the same age as the first, grabbed the hand of the one the bear was charging at and dragged her behind a woman with flame-like hair. I ignored the fact that her hair was the same shade as my own, for now.

A different woman had pulled out her bow and had knocked an arrow. She didn’t shoot the bear, still moving closer. Instead she shouted, “Stay away!”

One of the younger men shouted, “Shoot Susan, shoot!”

‘Do as he says!’ I thought desperately.

The bear was three and a half meters, _maybe_ , when it went down, an arrow in its chest. The woman with her bow drawn looked confused as she hadn’t fired an arrow, to my disgust. Looking back at the oldest of their group, the first male that had spoken, revealed that it was his arrow in the bear.

The dark haired woman asked, “Why didn’t he stop?” As she lowered her bow, her eyes mournful as my own had been when I had to start killing to save my family.

The male who shot down the bear responded, “I expect he was hungry.”

They advanced on the bear and I pushed back into the treeline so as to remain unseen. 

The pale, dark-haired man who had told the woman, Susan, to shoot her arrow, looked at the bear, confusion maring his face. “He was wild.”

The tallest, a male with golden hair that was like my youngest sister’s, stepped forward to the girls, now burying into the side of the woman that stood in front of them. “I don’t think he could talk at all.”

The male, a red dwarf I now realised, stepped towards the bear, his face almost sad, “You get treated like a dumb animal long enough and that’s what you become.” He pulled out a knife and with a heavy, “You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.” He started skinning the bear.

The youngest girls had tears slipping down their faces as they looked away but everyone else looked rather resigned to the fate of the animal.

I resolved to go back to my sisters and endure their wrath before I started following them. These strangers intrigued me as they were so very familiar and yet, I didn’t know them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are always welcome, questions and all, even if the next chapter is up, I would love your opinions!


	8. Meeting a mouse (You'd think this would be easy, but NO!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Complete normal, until of course there are Telmarines that are dropping for no apparent reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, eighth chapter, nine days after I promised it. I'm sorry. School popped up and whacked me in the face. 
> 
> Btw, does anyone know anything about the Cleveland Torso Murders I'm working on them for an English project and they're actually really interesting.

###  Meeting a mouse (you’d think this would be easy, but no!) 

###  An

I was swinging myself through the trees, trying to follow Caspian quietly, much like Trufflehunter and Nikabrik were failing to do.

Caspian had, after an hour or so, gotten sick of pretending they weren’t there and turned around to call out, “I can hear you.”

While I stayed up in the tree, Trufflehunter and Nikabrik came out from their hiding spots. Trufflehunter looked decidedly guiltier that Nikabrik but that may have been because Nikabrik was a bitter ass.

“I just think we should wait for the Kings and Queens.” Trufflehunter insisted. I huffed out a long breath. That was a sore point for me; that even though the badgers had always been the keepers of narnian history, they had forgotten the protectors, the High Queen, the children of the Magnificent King and of course, with the loss of the High Queen, they had forgotten the Delphic throne altogether.

Caspian continued walking, away from where Trufflehunter and Nikabrik were, only adding to the annoyance of the badger. “Fine then, go! See if the others will be as understanding!”

Nikabrik looked up and rubbed his hands together saying, “On second thought, perhaps I’ll go with you. I want to see you explain things to the minotaurs.”

My mind drifted back to my childhood when Caspian asked, “Minotaurs? Their real?”

‘Are they ever, Caspian.’ 

As a child I had gathered a ridiculously varied group of friends around me. 

Tarryn was a young minotaur and, half the time, I was confident that he was scared out of his mind by my family. 

Laylah was a wolf cub and the youngest of Maugrim’s last litter. She was raised by my mother and acted as my sister most of the time. 

Then there was little Zephyr, a satyr of Owl Wood, and Atticus, a centaur who was a soldier in training. Zeph had been taken into the castle staff when I was five and we had roped him into pranking almost my entire family several times, while I had met Attie on a walk with my Uncle one day and a friendship had blossomed from that.

Together we were absolute horrors for my family to deal with and got away with more mischief than was necessarily healthy for any child.

My attention was dragged from my memories when there were shouts, human shouts. ‘Telmarines.’ I thought quickly.

I was down the tree in seconds with my bow drawn and ready to fire before I knew what I was doing. “Run Caspian, Trufflehunter, Nikabrik! Run!”

And run they did. Until Trufflehunter got hit by an arrow and I had to stop and defend him.

Caspian came up behind me and tried to grab Trufflehunter who tried to get him to take the horn instead and leave him. “Caspian, I swear by the Lion, if you don’t take him, I will kill you in your sleep!”

Quickly the only sound was of retreating footsteps behind me, Telmarines running at me and myself firing arrow after arrow at the bastards who had taken over my home. 

A few minutes I was joined by Caspian, his sword drawn. “Do you not know how to use long distance weapons, Princy?”

He cracked a smile and muttered, “Something you will enjoy mocking me over, I think.”

My eyes rolled and I responded happily, “Oh, you have  _ no idea _ , Princy-boy.”

We stood, I fired my arrows and he was taking down anyone who got through my rain of death until, several meters away, a soldier dropped of his own accord, with a shout of pain and a curse. We didn’t notice it at first but when three soldiers drop before you hit them with an arrow, you do start to get annoyed.

“Where are you?” The last soldier demanded, ignoring Caspian and I, which was fine with us as we were looking for the same thing he was.

With a muffled shout, he fell to the ground and was silenced. “Caspian, can you see anything?” I asked quietly, moving forward to examine the ferns where the man had disappeared.

Then I heard the words, “Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine.”

I whipped around to find Caspian sprawled on the ground with a talking mouse on his chest. The mouse had a thin, needle-like sword in his grasp and was pointing it at the prince.

When I later thought back on Caspian’s “last words”, I lost it. Completely and utterly lost it. “You are a mouse.”

The poor dear mouse sighed heavily and his blade drooped slightly as he complained, almost whining as he did so, “I was hoping for something a little more… original.” He then huffed, perking up again, as he directed his blade to Caspian’s sword, lying a half meter from were Caspian’s hand was, “Come on, pick up you blade.”

Caspian looked to his blade and then his eyes shifted to me as though asking for permission. I shrugged, refusing to get him out of this, mainly because this little mouse looked very much like one of the guards from my home, a mouse named Resyndah. 

Caspian looked warily at the mouse before saying, “Uh, no thanks.”

“Pick it up! I will not fight an unarmed man!” The mouse insisted further, sounding ever so much like Resyndah, who had had a very similar argument with a friend of my family once.

“Which is why I shall live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you, noble mouse.” I had to congratulate him on the praise, however, he had to work on focusing on the words that were said.

“I said I wouldn’t fight you, I didn’t say I’d let you live!” Cried the mouse, bringing his blade up, only to stop suddenly because of an injured badger’s shouts.

“Reepicheep, stay your blade!” Trufflehunter shouted from where Nikabrik was holding him.

Reepicheep, as the mouse was now known, looked rather ruffled at being interrupted as he grumbled, “Trufflehunter? I trust you have a reason for this untimely interruption!”

Nikabrik, in his ever ass-hat-like fashion called out, “He doesn’t, go ahead.” 

I may just start giving proper thought to the idea of killing the little bastard.

Before my dark thoughts could formulate properly, Trufflehunter stated, “Reepicheep, he’s the one that blew the horn.”

The mouse looked down, shocked and maybe a little guilty. “What?”

A calm voice spoke from a few meters away, “Then let him bring it forward.” The male that spoke was a tanned centaur, “It is the reason we have gathered.”

Looking at him brought to mind many afternoons spent watching my mother, aunts and uncles on the training grounds, a centaur watching over their duels and correcting them where necessary.

The same centaur holding me back when I demanded to be able to search for my family, teaching me how to wield a sword when I was ten and being the one to lecture me on my lack of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, you survived the chapter. Please let me know what you think. Opinions are always welcome, even if the story has already been updated or is finished.


	9. Strange People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look, another chapter from someone we don't know! 
> 
> Fair warning, Peter is kind of an arsehole (what else is new).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I have given quite a few clues now and would be very happy if someone realised who the three 'named-but-not-really' characters are sometime before chapter 14 when their names are given.

###  Strange people 

###  Tal

Following strangers in the trees was interesting. There were nine of them and they were rather good-looking, or they would be if I didn’t think they were who I thought they were.

It was the second day since my brother had come and retrieved our sister and I. The group had moved rather well as they had several companions that were rather difficult to wake up.

The only problem was, the blond man, was absolutely, ridiculously hard-headed and he refused to listen to the dwarf, who had clearly been here longer.

One of the older women, a dark haired woman, turned to the blond male and said, not for the first time, “I don’t remember this way at all.”

The blond turned and said, “That’s the problem with you girls. You can’t carry a map in your heads.”

The youngest woman responded quietly, “That’s because our heads have something in them.”

Her friend, the closest to her in age, said softly, “I wish he’d just listen to the DLF.”

The complaint hadn’t been heard by the blond or the man walking with him but had been heard by the dark haired male. He turned and asked, “The DLF?”

Though he was the only one who asked, some of the others had looked confused as well.

“Dear Little Friend.” The youngest replied, as though the meaning should be obvious.

Up near the front, the DLF himself muttered, “Oh, that’s not patronising at all, is it?”

Half an hour later, the blond man stopped at a forked passage. “I’m not lost.” Was all he muttered.

The DLF rolled his eyes and said, “No, you’re just going the wrong way.”

The blond huffed a breath. I rolled my eyes as this had been a very back and forth debate that had been going for hours on end and I suspect that the only reason the blond got his way was the DLF was too tired to argue. 

“You said you last saw Prince Caspian in the Shuddering Woods. The fastest way there, from here, is to cross at the River Rush.”

It hadn’t, of course, passed my noticed that, had this been Narnia about 1040 years ago, the blond would have been going in exactly the right direction. But this was Narnia in the year 2303 and the blond was completely mistaken.

The DLF knew this and insisted, “Yes, but unless I’m mistaken, there isn’t a crossing in these parts.”

“That explains it then, you’re mistaken.”

They eventually came upon the area where the crossing used to be, only to find a gorge with the river coursing through some 200 meters below.

The red headed woman nearest to him muttered, “Well you weren’t  _ wrong _ .”

The dark haired woman said quietly, “You see, over hundreds of years, the water eroded away the earth’s soil-”

“Oh, shut up. Is there a way down?” The blond asked. I almost clambered down for the soul purpose of slapping the man.

The DLF sighed and muttered, “Yeah, falling. Come on, there’s a ford at Beruna. Any of you mind swimming?”

“Anything’s better than walking.” Was the agreement of the red haired woman.

Looking over at my brother, I saw him shake his head. So we wouldn’t be following them then. 

I had begun to inch my way towards the branch below mine when the second youngest woman shouted out something that made me look up so suddenly, I almost fell out of the tree altogether. “Aslan? It’s Aslan, over there! Well? Can’t you see? He’s right...” When all she got from the others who had looked over was confused looks she turned around herself, “There.” Her smile, which had been comparable to sunshine before disappeared and she looked sullen now.

“Do you see him now?” The DLF asked. I watched with interest as four of the people tensed a little bit, which only added to my theory of who they were.

“I’m not crazy. He was there and he wanted us to follow him.” She insisted, voice hardening with annoyance ever so slightly.

The blond moved forward to try and placate her, “I’m sure there are any number of lions in these woods, just like that bear.”

“I think I know Aslan when I see him.” The woman snapped. Her friend, the youngest, grabbed her hand as though to give support while also holding her back.

The dark haired man intervened, looking to the older man imploringly as he spoke, “The last time I didn’t believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid and Hamilton ended up scarred for life. You know that, Peter.” 

I, once again, almost fell out of the tree when I heard the names of the people. The man’s comments made one of the men with golden-orange hair squirm a bit, suggesting that he was Hamilton. The second youngest woman was now known as Lucy and the blond was Peter.

Peter looked rather annoyed that the dark haired man had said something but just the same, he looked over to where Lucy was and asked, doubt clouding his eyes, “Why wouldn’t I have seen him?”

“Maybe you weren’t looking.” The woman said.

Peter sighed, looking out to the place where Lucy said Aslan had been and said, “I’m sorry, Lu.” Before turning and walking off.

One of the red haired men followed him, the other waiting for the dark haired man who stayed to apologise that he couldn’t convince Peter. The dark haired woman followed immediately after the blond man and the red haired dwarf. 

The red haired woman looked over at Lucy and her friend. “He can be rather hurtful when he wants to be.” She said, looking back to where Peter had disappeared to.

“I don’t mind if he is cruel to me. But to completely disregard Edmund like that… I don’t know where my brother has gone and I  _ really _ don’t like the man that has replaced him.” Lucy whispered.

“I know, Lucy. Believe me, I know. That man has changed, and not for the better. If he doesn’t watch out, he’s going to lose all of us. Come on, lest they get too far ahead.”

She took Lucy’s hand and wrapped her other arm around the youngest woman before they followed where the rest of the group had gone.

Once they were out of sight, my brother, sister and I climbed down.

“So,” My brother asked, “What do you think?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated and please, feed back is taken on board.


	10. Narnian Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caspian get put on trial and An gets way pissed off about things that are said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been way too long since I wrote in this story however I have been fleshing out 'The years inbetween'.
> 
> I missed you all, have fun.

###  Narnian Council 

###  An

It was night by the time that all the Narnians had gathered and, looking down from my perch, I had to feel sorry for Caspian because he really was trying his best to speak diplomatically with the Narnians and they were acting positively horrid to him.

Currently there were disputes over what the horn actually meant, what it would do now that it had been blown and whatever else.

“All this horn proves is they have stolen another thing from us!” Nikabrik screamed from where he stood with his race.

There were shouts of agreement and, while Caspian tried to deny that he had stolen anything from the Narnians, I could almost  _ feel _ Aslan’s eyes looking down at the shreds of old Narnia.

I started as I heard a deep gravelly voice shout, “Didn’t steal anything? Shall we list the things the Telmarines have taken?”

One of the centaurs shouted, “Our homes!”

A faun across the glade screamed out, “Our freedom!”

“Our lives!” Was the cry from the back of a convocation of griffins.

While I could see where the Narnians were coming from, they should also be held accountable for the mess our country had become. While Cair Paravel had been attacked, far too many of the soldiers and knights had run from the fight, leaving my family mostly trapped.

I had seen many a being fall into Death’s arms that day and was beyond lucky that I wasn’t one of them.

And still the argument raged on below me. “You would hold me accountable for the crimes of my people?”

“Accountable, and punishable.” Nikabrik stated, moving forward with a vicious, predatory smile on his face.

“That’s rich from you, dwarf.” Reepicheep called over the mutterings of the crowd. “Or have you forgotten that it was your people that fought alongside the White Witch?”

The next words spoken made me lose it. “And I’d gladly do it again if it would rid us of these barbarians!”

“ _ Gladly?! _ ” I roared, silencing the clearing. I lept from the tree branch and stormed to the center of the clearing. “You would  _ gladly _ serve the woman who kept Narnia in winter for over a hundred years? Who nearly killed one of the protectors, twice, and one of our kings?  _ An early death to you, and dishonor on the ones who taint their minds with these thoughts! _ ” I screamed out my curse, knowing that the Lion would hear and enact it, if he thought it was well deserved. “My family, all of your ancestors fought to rid our country of that woman’s taint. The Kings, Queens and their protectors worked for years, holding off their own lives for the sake of ridding this country of her hellish memory! How in the Afterworld’s name could you be okay with re-inflicting that wound on this country?!”

My chest was heaving by the time I finished screaming at the dwarf. I could see many of the creatures looking at me in a different light that they did before, even Caspian was looking at me differently. “ _ Aslan’s spirit guide your decisions on this night. _ ” I muttered before walking away through the crowd, the slightly intimidated Narnians moving aside easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please send in feedback, I will read it and usually respond, even if it's negative feedback.  
> Enjoy the rest of your day, thank you (and those of you who live in Victoria, Australia, enjoy the school holidays)


	11. Crossing the gorge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After making the mistake of not listening to Lucy, the Pevensies, the Ayers and Trumpkin have a little bit of a scare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, gonna apologise for being gone so long, I had a lag in part of the story, which prompted my diving into the never-ending pool of anime and coming out with ideas galore that did nothing to help this story, but birthed several others.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter, there is one coming immediately after this so don't freak out about the length, it's fine. As always, I don't own any of the franchise.

###  Crossing the gorge 

###  Susanna

We walked to the ford in half an hour and when we got there, I could have screamed in frustration. Out of the ford, there were Telmarines, meaning that we couldn’t cross here. 

I bit out, “Perhaps this wasn’t the best way after all.” Directing the comment at both Peter and Trumpkin because, no matter how indifferent I acted, they had cast aside the opinions of Lucy and Edmund, ever mind the experiences the latter and Hamilton had gone through.

We turned around and made our way back to the gorge, by which time the sun was lowering itself in the sky.

“So, where do you think you saw Aslan?” Peter asked. It wasn’t unkind, but it was insensitive of Lucy’s feelings… and the fact that he was surrounded by the members of the silver court.

I watched as my siblings tensed, two of their friends along with them before Kathy shook it off. “I wish you’d stop acting like that. Just because we’re older again, doesn’t mean you should act like Lucy is less than you are, Peter.”

I saw Peter’s mouth open to respond before he thought better of it, thank goodness.

Lucy insisted, “I don’t  _ think _ I saw Him, I  _ know _ I did.” Lucy was walking along the edge of the gorge. “Anyhow, it was right over-” Her sentence was broken off by a scream as the ground beneath her gave way, and she fell.

I screamed, I know I did. Kitty cursed, loudly and profusely and Mel didn’t even stop to lecture her. Peter was over to where Lucy fell only just after Kitty was and half a second before I got there.

When I looked down, I sighed, a relieved smile playing across my face. Lucy had fallen onto an edge, almost a pathway to the bottom of the gorge.

Lucy smile up at us and finished what she had been saying. “-here.”

We all clambered down and walked along the path with Lucy almost falling and Lewis cursing how narrow the path was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, have a good night.


	12. Lucy's dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy has some wild dreams and scares that shite out of her family, yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, merely five minutes after the last chapter was posted.  
> I don't own Narnia, PJO, ect., ect.

###  Lucy’s dreams 

###  Lewis

I sat with Lucy, watching the stars twirl in their never ending dance above us, in the great narnian sky. 

I knew that Peter wasn’t asleep yet and I could almost hear his mind working from across the clearing. 

Melody was still tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position where she had set herself up, as far away from Peter as possible, his act this morning had pissed her off more than she let on, then.

Edmund and Hamilton had experienced too much emotional exhaustion today for them to still be awake. I felt for them, even if they didn’t realise just how acutely I was feeling their pain.

Kitty had passed out with her head resting on my stomach, something she would regret in the morning, no doubt.

Truthfully, the only reason I was still awake was because I felt like we were being watched. I had felt that way the entire day, but given how Peter reacted to the Aslan-sighting this morning, I didn’t know how he’d take this.

I was shaken from my thoughts when Susan asked, “Why do you think I couldn’t see Aslan?”

Lucy sat up a little, just so she could see her sister. “You believe me?”

I didn’t see how Susan acted, but I figured it was some form of sheepishness. “Well, we got across the gorge, didn’t we?”

Lucy flopped onto the forest floor, head landing on my chest. “Maybe you didn’t  _ want _ to see Him.”

I could understand Lucy’s logic. We had been quite happy when we left Narnia the last time with Edmund engaged and Melody once again expecting (not that she had told us until about a year after we had left). Now that we were back it was years after our friends had been killed or had died and we were all slightly bitter.

Susan didn’t respond, if only because she didn’t want to face trial by the silver court. Instead she said, “You always knew we’d be coming back, didn’t you?”

“I hoped we would.” Lucy said into the open air.

Susan’s huff of sarcastic laughter echoed across the clearing, “And to think, I had just gotten used to the idea of staying in England.”

“But your happy to be here, aren’t you?” Lucy’s worried voice asks.

Susan was tired by now. She muttered a quiet, “While it lasts.” before rolling over and falling asleep, her light snores filling the silence.

I fell asleep soon after, Lucy’s breathing evening out only a minute before I passed out.

####  Perspective change 

####  Katherine

I saw flashes of a brighter Narnia, an old Narnia. The trees were moving and just ahead of me… Aslan! Aslan was waiting for me! He was much bigger than I remembered but that didn’t change the fact that he was  _ here _ . Then his words echoed in my mind,  _ ‘Things never happen the same way twice, dear one.’ _

Then I wasn’t looking at Aslan, but the sky. I walked a little, hearing a growl before someone grabbed my arm and shook me awake.

I opened my eyes and found my head was resting near Lucy’s and we were both curled over Lewis. Most of the others were still asleep, except Lucy, who was looking at me with sad eyes.

I looked around the campsite before rising and offering her a hand so she could get up. She pulled herself up, quietly enough that Lewis didn’t stir.

We crept to the edges of the camp and started towards where the dream had happened. It was quiet, with the only sound being the birds chirping a little bit. “Do you think we’ll find Him?”

I didn’t answer immediately, not quite ready to admit to my fears. “We have to, don’t we? I mean, he promised he would return so…”

We didn’t stop walking for another hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, come back soon!


	13. Breaking feels weak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well hello there, mysterious characters that have a tendency to appear randomly, mind introducing yourselves?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I've been gone for three months, but in my defense, school happened and then Christmas. And then my girlfriend and I broke up yesterday (it was mutual, and a looming thing. Still not fun though.)  
> Any how, started learning Swedish so yeah, that's fun, might introduce more characters based on that.
> 
> Anyway, to summarise, I'm back, I'm sorry and I still don't own anything (except the OCs)

###  Breaking feels weak (so can I do it alone?)

###  Jaidyn

I was half hoping my sister was wrong about who she thought these people might be, because some of them really were good looking. But, if she thought that they were  _ Them _ … I was going to celebrate.

The night after they crossed the gorge I was on watch duty, as I had been for the last four nights. I was half falling asleep by the time anything interesting happened.

Lucy had woken from her dreams and, after a minute of watching the stars, turned and shaken her friend awake. The girls had wandered off and I didn’t think much of it until Peter woke up and, after looking around, grabbed his blade and run off in the direction the girls had gone.

I got up quickly and shook my siblings awake.

“Wha? Whas’ going on?” My brother said, hands wiping his eyes of sleep.

I turned to him from where I was pulling on a clean overshirt, “Two of the girls left earlier, I didn’t think too much of it until Peter grabbed his sword and ran off after them, without waking anyone.”

That got him up and moving. He pulled on a shirt and started gathering up his weapons. My sister was up not a second later, her weapon already on her and a clean overshirt already over her head.

We ran off to the campsite, only to find that it had been left, all of the weapons gone.

“Tal?” My brother asked.

My sister’s eyes closed and I could feel her power searching over the campsite. “They left a minute ago, following one of the redheaded boys.”

“Can you tell which direction they went?” I breathed.

Her eyes opened and she pointed in the direction I had seen the girls and Peter go.

We raced down the pathway, hearing shouting. We stuck to the trees, but close enough that we could hear what was going on. “... Telmarines! We have no idea where is safe! At the very  _ least _ , you could have woken one of us up, so we didn’t get worried out of our fucking minds and race off, tu ignaro cazzo!”

I could see my brother’s eyes becoming the size of coins and Tal was turning red.

“Melody, if you could maybe not murder your husband, that would be fantastic…” I heard one of the men ask.

She must have agreed because then a rather familiar voice floated through the trees to us, “Wonderful. Now, after that  _ particular _ explosion, which was beautiful to watch, by the way, I think we can all tell who these people are. Also, could the idiots hiding in the trees please come out because if you don’t then I will go in there and find you and, you three and I all know that would be painful.”

I met my siblings eyes and we all agreed, going out there and getting our arses grilled would be  _ far _ better than staying here, getting our arses beaten by our cousin, then getting grilled.

We carefully made our way out of the trees, eyes down and trying not to fall on our faces.

“You three are morons, you know that, right?” our cousin asked.

I rolled my eyes and said, “Yes, we realise that, you are continuously reminding us! I get it, you lost everything, and then some more, well guess what? We did too. We grew up with half a family and the week after we worked out that the four of us had stopped aging, that’s gone too! And I swear to Aslan and Olympus, Annie, if you mention what you think of us  _ one more time _ , I will end you!”

“Jai!” Tal screamed.

The fire in me was doused immediately. I stopped to breath and realised what I had said. An looked shocked at my outburst and I didn’t have to see my siblings’ faces to know that Tal was in tears and Cae was holding her. The group of nine we had been following were visibly shell-shocked and the narnians were much the same, with some looking more so than others. 

I didn’t care. I stormed off, not knowing where I would end up.

I got far enough away that I couldn’t hear what was being said and five minutes after that I stopped walking. My knees gave out and hit the earth. I knew that by now, An would have at least started explaining who we were, if not begged them to wait until they got somewhere safe.

I couldn’t bring myself to think about how the conversation would go.

I hadn’t noticed I was crying, but I felt my head pressing into the forest floor as sobs cleaved their way through my chest. I could feel my fingers pressing into my shoulders, like I was trying to hold myself together.

I heard a twig snap, and couldn’t bring myself to care. There were arms around me now, strong and comforting. I cried into a shirt and barely registered the blue colour.

Then my body left the ground and I was being held. There were voices and the arms carrying me changed. I was too tired to take in much else and the gentle rocking lulled me to sleep far easier than it would normally have done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? 'Cause I dunno, not one of my favorite chapters.
> 
> BTW, Review, please? 'Cause seriously, they make my day!


	14. The How

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever had a room full of emotional family members that though you were dead? Now, chuck in some confessions and the memories that Aslan pummel's Lucy with, and that's basically this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what? I'm gonna skip over some major plot points! The raid scene is being an arschloch, so I'm skipping over it for now. You're gonna have to deal with it (I'll come back to it! Honest!)
> 
> I don't own anything!

###  The How

###  Lucy

The How was beautiful. The corridors were only ever lit by torchlight and the noise never stopped, not even as the sun crept lower and the sky grew darker. I was passing the length of the room I had been given, thinking over what had been said. I reached into my pocket and held the statue of Aslan that I kept in my world.

World floated around my mind.  _ ‘You are not here alone, Lucy’ _ , _ ‘...we can all tell who these people are…’ _ , _ ‘You lost everything and then some more’ _ , _ ‘We did too’ _ , _ ‘She was a mess’ _ , _ ‘...didn’t stop crying’ _ , _ ‘...has severe sleep deprivation’ _ . 

My thoughts drifted to the girl my brother had carried into a room and then sat beside for an hour afterwards. She had been ashen faced and looked horridly sleep deprived.

I thought of the other girl. Eyes the colour of cobalt and hair like sunshine given form. She had stopped crying by the time we reached the How and was off to do heaven knows what. 

The boy next to her. His raging eyes were a cold blue that would have terrified even the most foolish of Calormen into submission.

The girl who knew us. Hair like an inferno and jade eyes shining with unshed tears as she asked us to withhold our questions.

My thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knocking at the door. “Yes?” I called out.

“Your majesty, the girl has woken up and King Peter asked for you to be there.” A voice called out.

I sighed lightly, running a hand through my hair before responding, “I’ll be just a moment!”

“Of course, majesty.”

When I arrived there was already shouting. I walked into the room to find Katherine and Peter going toe-to-toe. “Why must we question them immediately?”

“Katherine, you ran more than enough inquisitions on suspected spies to know why. The longer we leave them, the longer they have to plan out their story.” He screamed back, eyes burning bright with icy fire.

“You say that as though it wasn’t you sitting beside that girl for hours after we got here! As though you didn’t insist upon taking her from Edmund the minute he came out of the woods!” 

I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had attracted half of the How with their volume of shouting.

I cleared my throat and, when that was ignored, I shouted over them. “If you two don’t mind!” They stopped screaming and turned to me, as did the others in the room. The four unnamed people stood in the corner. They had been muttering quietly to each other before I shouted. 

Melody had been talking quietly with Susan and Edmund, Hamilton and Lewis lurking behind them.

“Peter, you called us all here for a reason I trust?” I demanded. I knew that my voice would sound harsh, but I was beyond tired at this point and if we were going to hold an inquisition with these people I would be far worse off by the end of it.

Peter sighed, running a hand over his face and nodded. “I was hoping that we could deal with any questions for this lot before we went off to bed.”

“Well then, we’d best get a wriggle on, oughtn’t we?” I asked dryly, garnering several raised eyebrows from the others in the room.

The youngest of the three girls nodded and said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Her companions looked rather resigned to their fate as they moved to stand at the center of the room, eyes on Peter. “Would you like the long version of events, or the short one, Your Majesties?” The oldest asked.

Peter glanced over to the rest of us before saying, “The longer version.”

All three of the younger ones huffed and the girl that had passed out muttered something that I didn’t hear, but all received a sharp glare from the oldest and quickly shut their traps.

“I’m not surprised you don’t recognise us, given the last time you saw us we were barely able to speak in full sentences.” The oldest began.

The smallest interrupted, “Cae was still learning!”

“Tal, shut up.” The boy growled.

“Oi, the two of you!” The oldest cut between them. “Anyhow, when you all left Narnia kept on functioning for about eight years before the Telmarines invaded. They attacked the Cair at night and the only reason we survived was because of Lady Afton, Protector Holly and Shërues Gabriele. 

“The last time we saw Gabriele, she was fighting a number of Telmarines alone. Lady Afton and Protector Holly went with us, out of the castle. The last time we saw them was two months after the siege.

“We have been alive for the last 1300 years, waiting for you to return so that we could help restore order to Narnia.”

We were all quiet until Edmund asked, “And your names?”

The smallest girl gave a dry laugh. “The most controversial part of our story, King Edmund.”

“Does that mean you won’t tell us?” Susan asked haughtily.

The boy rolled his eyes. “Not at all, Queen Susan. Just that you must not harm us if you think us to be lying.”

The girl who had passed out in the woods interjected, “If it would help your Majesties to believe us,  _ I swear on the Lion, ruler over all kings in Narnia, the four thrones at Cair Paravel and the lives of myself and my kin, I speak only the truth. May the Lion strike me down if I speak falsely. _ ” My eyes widened in surprise, and I knew that there would be eyebrows raised around the room.

This vow was made to the alarm of her companions. “Jai, that is a serious thing!”

“You can’t just go throwing about the old language!”

“Do you  _ realise _ what you just promised?!”

The girl snapped, “Yes, I realise. Thing is, none of us are in violation of the vow, and we aren’t going to be. Your majesties, I wish to introduce myself first, if the request is not overly brazen.”

I stepped in here, “Of course not, dear. Go ahead.”

She took in a deep breath before saying, “I was presented to the city as Princess Jaidyn Aria Pevensie, second child and first daughter of the High King Peter and High Queen Melody. I was given the title of the heir to the High King’s throne at the age of four, though I was to serve in the army from the age of eighteen for seven years.”

I couldn’t breath. I knew that if I was this bad, Melody and Peter would be in ribbons by the end. They had thought they had lost all four of their children and now there were three standing in front of them, real and alive as the rest of us.

The smallest girl went next, brushing a piece of golden hair behind her ear, “I was presented as Princess Taliyah Eleanora Pevensie, third child and second daughter of the Magnificent King and the Delphic Queen. When I was four I was given the title of the Rising Star of Narnia, however I was to serve seven years as a spy for the royal family before taking up any duties.”

I saw Edmund and Hamilton tense up, both having been involved with the spy networks since they were fifteen. By the end they had rightly earned the titles Silvertongue and Shadowsmith respectively, and had the scars to prove it.

The boy went next, but I suspected I already knew who he and the last girl were. “I was given the name Prince Caelan Helius Pevensie, the first child and son of the Master of the Skies and the Mistress of the Heavenbound Stars. When I was four I was declared the Heir of the Delphic Throne, though I had to serve seven years as a protector in a foreign country.”

Lewis was shaking, I could see it. Susan had silent tears running down her cheeks. Aslan, don’t let this be fake.

The last girl spoke next and said quietly, “I was created by the Lion as a gift for the Spiritholder and the Chaos of Narnia. They gave me the name Acantha Tatiana Ayers and I was known as the daughter of General Katherine Ayers. I was never given a title in my childhood.”

I felt hurt course through Kitty. She and I had ended after we left Narnia and we had never got a chance to tell Acantha, not that she would have understood, given that she was only five at the time.

Peter remained silent, but looked to Melody, who was crying silently. He walked over to her and picked her up, carrying her out with the words, “I believe you all and we will all talk, but for now I need to look after Mel.” Directed at the four children in the center of the room.

Hamilton and Edmund moved forward, only enough to pull Taliyah away to walk with them, which she did happily. They did stop for long enough that I could give her a hug and promise to speak with her later.

Susan sat against the walk, head in her hands and shoulders shaking quietly. The only reason I wasn’t there was that Lewis was with her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

Kitty was sitting with Acantha and talking to her, desperate to speak to the daughter we had both lost three years ago. I promised myself that I would pull Acantha aside later so I could talk to her.

I moved toward Caelan and Jaidyn, wanting to talk to them and get to know the children that had once been like my life.

I barely got two feet before collapsing and having images invade my mind.

_ Jaidyn, a little girl with bell-like laughter, running through the castle, dragging Peter behind her. Dancing in the glades with Kitty and I on cold winter mornings. Tears when she is told we aren’t coming home. Promises to come find us when she was eight. Bitter anger when she loses everything. _

_ Taliyah, sitting with Hamilton and Edmund through meetings and the lighter part of court proceedings. Cobalt eyes shining with tears when the boys, Kitty, Melody, Afton and I left to fight. The loss of her family was met with silence. The body of a beautiful telmarine who had captured her affections on the floor, blood still warm and those three words still falling from his lips. _

_ Caelan, a little boy, play fighting with Lewis and dancing with Susan. Squeals of joy as he rode a pony for the first time, Melody on Gwenevre riding beside him and grinning just as much. Days spent in the stables with his family’s horses when they didn’t come back. Screaming for Gabriele when they left the Cair. _

_ Acantha. A little girl playing with the Great Lion’s mane as he dozes in the gardens. Laughter through the palace as another prank goes off and the sound of a young minotaur, a wolf, a centaur, a faun and a human running to get out of the palace. Late night attempts to sneak out and find us. Quick kisses shared with a centaur and faun and promises of a lifetime. Pleads to turn back and find them when she loses them in the rush of the evacuating castle. _

Everything was too bright, moving too quickly, I couldn’t keep my eyes open for long enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are my life force, seriously.


	15. Battle Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More arguments that lead to what is probably one of the most heartbreaking scenes in all of the Narnia movies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me. It's been a while, I know, but I'm gonna blame school, coronavirus, my family and the fact that some family members are over in Italy at the moment for my too long break.
> 
> As usual, I don't own anything except for my OCs.

###  Battle council

###  Edmund

There was something close to mass hysteria when a faun raced into the how and demanded to see Prince Caspian and general Glenstorm. Word leaked out that there had been a Telmarine soldier spotted on the forest border. From there it wasn’t long before a war council was called.

It took only a few minutes to set up but there were many small interactions in that time. Melody managed to wrap all three of her children into a bone-breaking hug and, while Caelan whined about ‘punctured lungs’, I could tell he relished the contact. Peter was smiling grimly at his oldest daughter as she regaled Reepicheep with stories of the golden age. 

At some point a faun tried to set the war maps down onto Aslan’s table and honestly, the look that crossed Lucy’s face was a promise of death. The faun, quite understandably, scampered. Lucy had, after that, placed herself on top of the table.

When we were finally set up, Peter was the first to start speaking of what we should do.

“It’s only a matter of time before Miraz’s men and war machines arrive. We know that they are on the march now, which means that those same men aren’t guarding the castle.” He said, hands resting on the table as he looked over a map of Narnia.

“What do you suggest, Sire?” Reepicheep prompted from where he stood on Jaidyn’s shoulder, just across the table.

“We—”

“Our—”

I would have laughed at the looks on Peter and Caspian’s faces when the other spoke at the same time, as would Melody, Lucy and Kitty, I’m sure, had Caspian not then been fixed with a heated glare from Peter and Lewis.

As the air started to smell of ozone, Caspian conceded to Peter. “Our only hope is to attack them before they attack us.”

“But that’s crazy!” Caspian insisted, and I almost agreed with him. “No one has ever taken that castle.”

Peter didn’t back down. “There’s always a first time.”

“We’ll have the element of surprise.” Was the only indication of support from Trumpkin.

Caspian wouldn’t back down from his stance either. “We have the advantage here.”

“Peter, if we dig in, we could hold them off indefinitely.” Susan added. I could almost hear the cracks down the court.

Lewis would go with Peter, as would Hamilton and I. Kitty and Lucy were variables. Melody, while undyingly loyal to Peter, had served as Susan’s protector, and so, while we didn’t have Holly around, was responsible for Susan’s safety.

Trufflehunter spoke quietly from the corner, “I, for one, feel safer underground.”

Peter turned to Caspian, seeming to dismiss those around him. “Look, I appreciate what you’ve done here, but this place… it isn’t a fortress, it’s a tomb.”

I spoke up at that point, “Yes, and if the Telmarines are still as smart as they used to be, they’ll just starve us out.”

One of the younger members of the council spoke at that moment, “We could collect nuts!”

“Yes,” Reepicheep agreed, a strong undercurrent of sarcasm in his voice. “And throw them at the Telmarines. Pattertwig, shut up.” He turned to Peter, bowing neatly from his perch. “I think you know where I stand on the matter, Sire.”

Peter continued on, reassured of his plan’s impending execution. He looked to Glenstorm and asked, “If I can get your troops in, can you handle the guards?”

“Or die trying, my liege.” Was the centaur’s steadfast response.

The soft voice of my sister broke through then. “That’s what I’m worried about.”

“Sorry?” and “What?” were the general questions thrown about the room. 

Lucy continued, eyes sparkling with a righteous flame that had once danced wild through her every action. “Well, you’re all acting like there are only two options: dying here, or dying there.”

Peter, in all his supposed wisdom, thought it was a good idea to respond with doubt. “I’m not sure you’ve been listening, Lu.”

“No Peter, you’re the one who isn’t listening. Or have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch?” She demanded. 

Lucy might as well have thrown a bucket of cold water over us. Peter’s eyes were chips of ice as he stated coolly, “I think we’ve waited for Aslan long enough.”

Melody broke her silence at that moment. “No, this is enough nonsense. Lucy, Katherine, you are both dismissed from this meeting, take Jaidyn, Caelan and Taliyah with you please.” When the three mentioned children started to protest she cut them off quickly, “I am your mother you three, don’t think I won’t take you over my knee just as quickly as I did when you were children. Now, Peter, if I may suggest something?”

“Of course, Melody.” 

“Rather than attacking them directly, suppose we attack the bridge we saw them building; burn the resources that they have, and whatever machines they use to make more, kill off the men in charge, take their horses and generally just wreak havoc on the place. After that, we can move into the forest, possibly closer to Cair Paravel, or Archenland.”

I had to admit, the plan was solid. The only thing was… “It’ll take too long.”

“You think so Edmund?”

“Mhm. It took us days to get from Cair Paravel to here and, given that, based on the map over here, the Telmarines, in order to avoid the forest, would run right into our path.” As I spoke my fingers trailed along the routes.

“And if we move south?”

“The forest and mountains would kill us. You remember what those passes were like in the colder months.” My eyes broke from the maps to look at her and, beside her, I saw for just a second, a shimmering image of the one person I had been trying to find since we got here. Then I blinked and she faded.

Melody's anger, on the other hand, did no such thing, as she hissed, "Then maybe you should use you should us the time in a more efficient manor than you are now." Before storming out of the room, her rage billowing around her like a cloak.  


In the end it was decided that we would attack the castle and, if possible, move into the woods afterwards. Melody said she would stay here, keeping the children, Lucy and Katherine with her, but Hamilton and Lewis would accompany us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't deserve reviews at this point, but they are still nice to get.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems like Peter has and issue with every one, doesn't it. Cause he sure as hell ain't listening to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looky-looky, I have another chapter. Honestly, the next one is one of my favourites (mainly because two people get slapped for being stupid) and maybe I'll weaving in another fandom reference somewhere.

###  While they’re out (Aslan’s how during the night raid)

###  Taliyah

Spending time with Mum again was what I had wanted for years, however, spending that time worrying over whether or not Dad would make it back to us alive, or at all, was not fun. Needless to say, we stayed up most of the night praying to Aslan. 

Or, I did, so did Mum, but her prayers were directed to her divine ancestors, the gods that I would one day invoc on behalf of the True King and His soldiers. 

I was joined by Acantha for a while as she murmured the prayers of a child asking for their family’s safe return, a prayer I was all too familiar with. Aunt Lucy and Aunt Katherine were in and out all night, until hours after the army had left and they insisted that I leave rather than stay up all night. In my place, Aunt Katherine and Aunt Lucy held vigil, both of them ever faithful servants to the Lion, as were all of my family, though they were possibly the most attentive.

I walked to the room I was sharing with my sister and cousin, only to find them and my brother awake and talking.

“How are we meant to just allow them back into our lives?” Jaidyn asked, the question weak, broken, a voice used far too often by my older sister, a girl who had been our rock and taken every weight that she could, breaking the minute she saw some trace of the people who had been meant to take those weights.

Caelan nodded, continuing, “There’s something wrong. They aren’t what they were before. Dad’s… not himself, not the High King that he once was. Aunt Susanna seems a little weird as well.”

Acantha smacked her forehead into her palm and sighed, “I know that you two are concerned, but we have to appreciate the opportunity we’ve been given, otherwise we’re gonna lose them all over again, and we aren’t going to be able to fix any of the issues we have with them.”

They lapsed into silence, and I almost left the crudely cut opening in the wall that acted as a doorway. Then I heard Acantha,  _ Acantha _ of all people, ask quietly, “Do you think Gabby, Hols and Aft are still out there?”

Jaidyn sighed and muttered, “I dunno, Annie, I really don’t know.”

I crept away after that, sneaking into my Mother and Father’s room and curling up on their bed. We were all the same age (except for Acantha, which wasn’t the point), but sometimes I really felt like my siblings and cousin were years older than I was, and it was  _ insanely _ annoying.

I sighed and tried to fall asleep and I must have succeeded, because when I opened my eyes again, there was a shaft of light over my face and the sounds of soldiers coming towards us.

I dived for the door and ran to the entrance of the Howe, dodging the various hands that tried to hold me back. The sight of the army returning was heartbreaking. 

They had been a small force when they left, but coming back they were barely even a battalion, I could count every single one of them, without losing count or getting lost in the numbers. And the state that some of them were in was shocking. If I ever got ahold of the bastards that did this to them, I knew that I would likely be disgraced from Aslan’s Lands.

I stood in the bright sunlight, waiting at attention as my Father, Uncles and Aunt returned from battle, their eyes empty and their spirits weighed down, and I prayed silently for Aslan to have mercy on the souls of the fallen.


End file.
